The UK is to pump £20 million into efforts to develop a fast-track vaccine against the Wuhan coronavirus, it was announced today.
Researchers have set themselves an "unprecedented" schedule to get a virus through Phase 1 clinical trials.
The money will be channelled through CEPI – the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, the vaccine development organisation set up during the Ebola outbreak in west Africa.
CEPI is working with a German company, CureVac AG, to develop the vaccine – although it was not clear if the UK government funding was tied to some research taking place in the UK.
Its chief executive Dr Richard Hatchett said: "The rapid global spread and unique epidemiological characteristics of the virus are deeply concerning.
"Our hope is that, with our partners, we can get an investigational vaccine from gene sequencing of the pathogen through to clinical testing in 16 weeks.
"The earliest stage of clinical trials (Phase I), to establish the safety of investigational vaccines, would take around two to four months.
"This is an extremely ambitious timeline – indeed, it would be unprecedented in the of field vaccine development. It is important to remember that even if we are successful – and there can be no guarantee – there will be further challenges to navigate before we can make vaccines more broadly available."
UK health secretary Matt Hancock said: "The UK is a hub of world-leading and pioneering research, and it is vital that we lead the way in developing new vaccines to target global threats with scientists from across the world.
"The £20 million announced today will help our globally recognised vaccine development capabilities continue to develop new defences against emerging diseases including coronavirus. It’s paramount we invest in vital research about infectious diseases, keeping the UK at the forefront of modern-day science so we can share this knowledge globally."
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